1
SSF Request 2014-2015
Al-Madinah Cultural Center
Al-Madinah Cultural Center
1/24/2014
Student Services Fee Request for the 2014 - 2015 Academic Year
236 Coffman Union 300 Washington Ave SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455
Address
(952) 200-1407
N/A
madinah@umn.edu khan0463@umn.edu
Phone
Fax
Email
“We acknowledge that the Fee Committee does not award actual dollars, but rather a penny fee that earns dollars
based upon student enrollment levels. Any differences between anticipated and actual income resulting from
changes in enrollment are the responsibility of the student organization, not of the Fee Committee.”
Adnan Khan
Nancy Mahdy
Preparer’s Name
Co-Preparer’s Name
Khan0463@umn.edu
mahdy002@umn.edu
Preparer’s Email
Co-Preparer’s Email
Is your organization an IRS 501 (c)(3) not-for-profit?
Yes
If yes, please provide proof of your organization’s 501(c)(3) status.
No
X
Funds are being requested for (check all that apply):
General Operating Support:
X
Start-Up Costs:
X
Project / Program Support:
X
Technical Assistance:
Other (List):
Budget



SSF Dollar Amount Requested
Total Annual Organization Budget
Total Program Budget (apart from General Operating)
$
$
$
Capital: X
78,400
92,350
84,050
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Al-Madinah Cultural Center
Section 1: Narrative
Please use the following guidelines to provide a description of your organization:
 Brief summary of organization history, including date of establishment
This nation has seen many influxes of immigrants throughout its rich history. A group of
these immigrants were Muslims from various regional and ethnic backgrounds. From
Europe to South East Asia and from Africa to the Middle East, many Muslims now call
America their home. These Muslims, regardless of race, ethnicity, and language, share a
unique cultural bond by their religious beliefs—a culture that is most diverse in this country.
They find themselves with common bonds under the long established traditions of equality
and brotherhood/sisterhood.
Muslims have been students and scholars at the University of Minnesota for over a
century; however, for many of these years their presence was little known or felt. After a
number of years the Muslims on campus began to congregate and discover their ties with
other Muslims. The need for a gathering place where Muslims could strengthen these ties
as well as discover their cultural roots was imperative. Muslim students, an ever increasing
number on campus, began getting recognized, yet they were still misunderstood by the
majority of non-Muslims due to various acts of misrepresentation, misinterpretation, and
prejudices.
The University community therefore was in need of a center and an organization that
would enhance the understanding of the rich Islamic traditions and culture. In recognition
of this void, the Al-Madinah Cultural Center was established in June of 1999, not only to
provide a gathering place for Muslims but also to contribute to the goals of higher
education and cultural experiences by University students and faculty. Soon after AlMadinah was founded, Coffman Memorial Union was shut down for renovation. Even
without a room in Coffman Union, Al-Madinah still worked to use all possible means to
fulfill its mission of enhancing diversity and understanding on the University campus. The
reopening of Coffman Memorial Union in January of 2003 finally provided Al-Madinah with
the base it needed, and has since established itself as a primary and respected resource for
Islam and Islamic culture both at the University and within the greater Minneapolis/St. Paul
community.
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Al-Madinah Cultural Center

Organization mission / vision statements, inclusive of organizational goals
Al-Madinah “will help educate the University of Minnesota community by creating a
better understanding and appreciation for the diverse cultures and traditions of Islam and
Muslims through educational, social, and community activities.”
Al-Madinah’s vision is two-fold: seeking to serve both the Muslim minority on campus as
well as the campus community at large. Al-Madinah aims to increase awareness of campus
diversity and to enhance the University experience through educational, social, and
communal programming inclusively aimed at Muslims and non-Muslims. Al-Madinah is an
outcome-oriented organization. The outcomes, listed in our mission, are the basis of the
organization of events and initiatives.
Al-Madinah’s goals include: 1) retention and recruitment of new members to be
involved in educational workshops and study circles; 2) expanding active participants among
members and nonmembers; 3) working to establish accessible online as well as print
materials that support Al- Madinah’s mission; 4) assisting and developing Al-Madinah’s
affiliate organizations; 5) increasing the visibility of Al-Madinah on and off campus; 6)
continuing to develop relationships with organizations that share similar missions.

Describe your organization’s relationship with organizations of like mission
Al-Madinah prides itself on its general body members as well as its affiliated
organizations. Some of these organizations include the Muslim Students Association,
Malaysian Students Association (PERSISMA), Pakistani Students Association, Somali Student
Association, Persian Student Organization of Minnesota, Saudi Student House, Omani
Student Union, United Arab Emirates Student Association, Bharat, Indian Student
Association, Sudanese Student Union, Health Occupations Students of America, Students for
Justice in Palestine, Silk Road, and the Muslim Future Physician Association. Al-Madinah has
coordinated with these groups in a variety of events, as well as conducted meetings to
strengthen relationships among these various student organizations. This has resulted in a
dynamic set of relationships that has allowed the respective organizations’ reach to
broaden and to positively affect more students’ experience on campus. Additionally, AlMadinah actively works with the various cultural centers in Coffman Union, including: La
Raza Student Cultural Center, Asian-American Student Union, American Indian Student
Cultural Center, Disabled Student Cultural Center, the Black Student Union, and Minnesota
International Students Association. Recently our organization has developed ties with the
Greek Community, including the Beta Theta Pi Fraternity, Pi Sigma Beta Fraternity, Sigma
Lambda Beta Multicultural Fraternity.
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Al-Madinah Cultural Center
In response to an ever-increasing demand for event co-sponsorship by affiliates, a
Partnership System has been written. Following ratification by Al-Madinah’s general body
this month, Registered Student Organizations will be given the opportunity to apply for
Partnership. Partner Status will give student organizations priority for co-sponsorships,
facility usage, and our advertising power among other benefits. The ultimate goal for this
system is to strengthen and cement ties between Al-Madinah and the University’s student
groups, helping us execute our mission on a larger scale and providing a more influential
resource for students at the University.

Illustrate the need for your organization within the university community, inclusive of
how your organization meets this need
The University of Minnesota’s commitment to enhancing and promoting diversity on
campus has made possible the various student organizations on campus through University
affiliated centers and departments. The University of Minnesota houses renowned
departments in Women’s Studies, Latin American studies, GLBT studies, African and AfricanAmerican studies, Asian studies, and Jewish studies, just to name a few. Islam and Muslims
have lacked this presence on campus, and misconceptions are still prevalent. In these times
more than ever, the need for a center and organization to dispel rumors and myths about a
faith so terribly misrepresented and misused is vital.
Recent years have seen a dramatic increase in the number of international students at
the University, many of whom are Muslim and come from Islamic backgrounds. Al-Madinah
provides these students with the resources necessary for an exceptional college experience
consistent with Islamic principles. For instance, the past decade was marked by an influx of
Somali students at the University. Many of these students are first generation and come
from families who fled their war torn country; they continue to be labeled as foreign or as
“other.” Al-Madinah works to bridge this gap and facilitate the transition of like
communities to the campus community, creating mutually beneficial relationships. AlMadinah also serves as a center for knowledge and discussion regarding many topics,
particularly with those related to Islam. The availability for discourse among groups
traditionally not equipped to discuss controversial issues has broadened students’ college
experience and has enhanced their learning experiences.
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
Detail the student benefit derived from your organization, whether or not students
utilize services
All University members including students and faculty may benefit from the services
provided by Al-Madinah whether or not they know of the organization or have been to the
center. Al-Madinah’s education and outreach programs increase the diversity, tolerance,
and understanding on campus, hence bringing greater unity among the vast campus
community. Annual events like Fast-a-Thon, 2008’s Tony Diggs Program of the Year, and
Islam Awareness Week, as well as the various lectures and events sponsored by AlMadinah, benefit a great deal of students on campus. Very importantly, Al-Madinah has
shown commitment and continues to respect the value of Student Service Fees and resisted
the trend of giving stipends to its officers as many other student organizations do.
Therefore, Al-Madinah’s officers do not gain any monetary benefit from the Student
Services Fees. Members of our organization noticed a trend in other student organizations
of similar size this past year concerning stipends: we believe that many reduced or removed
their stipends due to our example of motivated officers who work purely to further the
mission of our organization. We’re proud of our legacy, whether or not it was intentional by
those groups. Additionally, all students, Muslim or non-Muslim, that are a part of AMCC’s
general body can get involved in one of the many events facilitated by the Al-Madinah
Cultural Center.
For years before Al-Madinah was founded, Muslim students would resort to finding
quiet places to pray and this became a stressful burden on many Muslims on campus. AlMadinah has provided students the facility to quickly and comfortably pray between classes
or gather with fellow students. It is also a place to get to know Muslim students. We
frequently have visitors from religious groups or classes requesting information or simply
looking for a chat, and therefore Al-Madinah acts as a place for dialogue and community
building. A similar benefit also extends to International Students who often spend time in
Al-Madinah to learn to speak English more fluently through conversing.
An additional benefit derived from our organization is the use of the center on the
second floor, where a portion of the University’s budget goes to renovate and maintain an
extraordinarily welcoming space. Historically, our average space usage exceeded similar
student groups on the second floor since its opening in 2003, and that convinced the 20122013 Coffman Second Floor Advisory Committee to allocate an even larger space to AlMadinah following the summer 2013 renovations. Our center is also the most accessible
center on the second floor, open longer than every other center. As demonstrated, the
services provided by Al-Madinah to the greater campus community are vast.
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SSF Request 2014-2015
Al-Madinah Cultural Center
Moreover, Al-Madinah is committed to providing resources for students’ academic
success. Events such as “Study Days” during the week of finals provide a quiet space for
students to come and study. Programs such as the Leadership Development workshops and
the Freshman Mentoring Program put strong emphasis on academic success. Through these
programs, grades are put first and extra-curricular involvement is encouraged to
supplement academic success, as extensive research has shown.

Describe student involvement within your organization
Student involvement within Al-Madinah varies and depends on one’s level of interest.
Members can be general body members by attending General Body Meetings, actively
coming to the center, receiving weekly emails, etc. Students can also increase their
involvement within the organization by many activities including but not limited to
volunteering at events, offering insight to the board through office hours, serving on
specific event committees, or serving as interns for a semester. Lastly, students can be
nominated and elected to serve as board members, or be assigned to an appointed board
position. Al-Madinah’s members are among the most diverse, spanning a great deal of
expertise and academic disciplines. Undergraduates make up majority of the general body,
but numerous Master’s and Doctorate students either serve on committees or have
previously served on the AMCC board.
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Al-Madinah Cultural Center
Section 2: Organizational Chart
 Provide a block diagram that supplements the narrative section and details more clearly
the structure of the student group. The organizational chart should provide a clear
picture of the reporting structure, student involvement and programmatic areas.
Section 3: Performance Report
 Use quantitative measures to indicate the degree of use and participation of services
and programs within the student group. Figures should be used to demonstrate the
impact the student group has on campus life and the collegiate experience. Consider
the following details:
o Participation/attendance figures
o Survey results
o Number of students served
Event and Description
1
Islam Awareness Week
Includes lecture, discussion dialogue, and workshops to
educate the public of Islam and to eradicate
misconceptions revolving it.
20122013
Actual
3000
Attendance
201320142014
2015
Actual/ Estimated
Estimated
3500
4000
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Al-Madinah Cultural Center
2
Fast-A-Thon
A program that encourages people who normally
wouldn’t fast to fast and arranges for sponsorships to
fund pledges for philanthropy.
3 Eid-Rageous
Celebration of the Muslim holiday Eid Al-Adha.
4 Graduation Ceremony
Event to end the year, bidding farewell to graduating
seniors and recognizing their achievements.
5 Critical Thinking Discussions
Discussions serve to enhance the public’s
professionalism, activism, and community.
6 Sisters’ Socials
A talent show displaying unique performances of
females from various cultural groups on campus.
7 Freshmen Mentoring Program
Providing a program to get freshmen involved with
upperclassmen to get advice and help that makes the
student successful and achieve academic excellence.
8 I-Cultures Festival
An evening of cultural performances from all over the
Arab and Muslim world each taking an entertaining
approach to present the cultures and traditions of Islam
and Muslims.
9 Welcome Week Event
An event to get students informed about the many
different student groups located on the second floor of
Coffman Memorial Union.
10 Annual Welcome Back & End of Year Picnic/Barbeques
One gathering at the beginning of the year for the
executive board to interact with the general body and
one last get-together for students before finals start and
the school year comes to an end.
11 Meet with your Congressman
An annual event with provides students an opportunity
to meet and discuss current issues with a local
congressman.
12 Educational Lectures and Workshops
Providing a means for students to discuss relevant issues
in a safe and respectful environment.
400
450
500
650
700
800
150
150
150
100
150
160
300
450
500
50
50
50
700
800
800
300
300
400
400
1000
1000
--
100
100
200
300
400
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Al-Madinah Cultural Center
13 Monthly Volunteering
A monthly initiative to volunteer at a non-profit
organization in the area with the goal of community
involvement and bonding.
14 Annual Ski Trip
Going to Afton Alps to have fun and bring the
community closer together, as well as provide an
incentive for students to volunteer and engage in their
local communities.
15 Welcome Back Open Houses
Welcomes new and current students back at the
beginning of semesters with informal breakfasts or
lunches.
16 Brothers’ Bashes
Evening of activities to strengthen the community and
increase involvement.
17 Sports Tournaments
Soccer tournaments, one per semester.
18 Culture Shows
Showcasing cultural student organizations in AMCC’s
room. Also serves as a general body-meeting forum.
19 Leadership Building Series
Develops leadership skills for underclassmen at the
University of Minnesota.
20 International Bazaar
A showcase of many cultures in an open house style with
a plethora of activities for students to engage in and
international food to sample.
21 College Day
Provides upperclassmen in high schools in Minneapolis
an opportunity to view college life and encourages them
to consider post-secondary education at a diverse,
academically successful, and engaging University.
22 Study Days
Providing a quiet space on campus with plenty of
seating, tables, and electric accessibilities to study for
finals.
23 Breakfasts
Held twice a semester as a checkpoint for students,
provides a safe and welcoming space for students to
socialize and relax.
220
280
315
100
150
200
800
700
700
500
500
500
200
300
400
1000
1200
1800
400
600
750
--
500
600
--
--
400
500
600
600
400
600
800
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SSF Request 2014-2015
Al-Madinah Cultural Center
Section 4: Reserve Accounts
 Any student group reserve accounts must be listed and described. Include the
following:
o Name of the account(s)
o Current amount in the account(s)
o Purpose of the account(s)
o Additional information the committee may find helpful
AMCC does not have a reserve account. It was closed in June of 2012 after the
executive board saw no need for the account. At the end of the term, the current board will
leave a small amount for the new board to help them carry out events and summer plans
before receiving their SSF check in October.
Section 5: Fees Request
 State the total amount of your Student Services Fees request. Indicate whether this
amount is a decrease from last year, an increase from last year, or if this is a first-time
request. The Fees Committee will be particularly interested in the reasoning behind a
fee increase.
 Please provide additional detail if you are requesting one-time, special or a significant
funding increase as part of your SSF request. Include plausible/realistic plans, evidence
that the applicant has thought through the facility, security, permitting and/or other
requirements for putting on significant events, and demonstrate an understanding of
the true full cost of the events or other applicant requests (where one-time, special or
significant funding increases are included in the SSF application). The SSF Advisor is
available to consult with applicants who wish to request one-time, special or significant
funding increases.
We are requesting $78,400.00 from Student Services Fees for the term of 2014-2015.
This is a significant increase from the amount received last year. We requested $66,550.00
last year and received $64,550. The award by last year’s SSF Committee signified that our
budgeting was accurate, and so we decided to budget using the same methods as last year.
Our goal this year has been to streamline all events to the highest quality while
maintaining maximum efficiency. Now that we’ve achieved a higher quality of our
programming to provide unmatched levels of cultural education, our next goal is to increase
the magnitude and quantity of the most successful events. For example, last year we
budgeted for 4 Culture Shows, but we’ve increased that number for next year to 6 Shows.
This is due to overwhelmingly positive feedback by the general body in terms of
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engagement and education as well as the increasing demand by partner organizations for
co-sponsorship of these Culture Shows. This increase of two shows results in an increase in
our budget of $2000. This is to be spent mostly on entertainment and food. Room rental is
not an issue because we host these shows in our existing facilities on the second floor of
Coffman Memorial Union. Also, advertising costs are greatly decreased because cosponsorship results in two organizations advertising to their memberships rather than just
one. Furthermore, an increase of $3500 has been added to a combination of several events
to further increase the magnitude and educational character of these events. This is most
clearly seen in the budgeting of the I-Cultures Festival where an additional $2000 was
added to provide more diverse and educational entertainment. Additionally, two of our
most successful events, Eid-rageous and Fast-a-Thon, share a combined increase of $1500 in
entertainment.
In addition, after our careful calculations, we found the opportunity to introduce new
events. The first reason our fees request has significantly increased is due to the
introduction of the International Bazaar, budgeted at $4050. This event will provide an
ultimate showcase to many of the colorful cultures we represent through our mission and
goals and ultimately make it very easy for students to be engaged in various activities and
types of entertainment from around the world. For our second new event, we surveyed
groups similar to our size and mission in universities across the country. We found that
many of them created programming to not only engage more of their general bodies as
leaders but also to bring a diversity of students to their universities. The most significant
increase in our request was for a program called College Day, budgeted to be $4,500. We
expect this event to engage 30 general body members as small group leaders and increase
their achievements in terms of Student Development Outcomes. Additionally, we expect
the event to highlight for the 400 attendees the benefits of not only pursuing postsecondary education, but also attending a University that offers diversity, community
involvement, and academic success. Exact details of budget breakdown can be found in the
budget sheet submitted with this document but the reasoning for each is as follows. Both
events were planned with the intent of reserving Coffman’s Great Hall, as well as
calculations of food necessities from other events of similar size. Since the International
Bazaar requires lighter foods like finger food, cost per person is lower than College Day for
which we intend a buffet style meal. Entertainment for both events would be in the form of
local talent, as well as services provided by professionals like henna artists.
With respect to the magnitude of the task of distributing Student Services Fees, we
request $78,400. We would like to continually strive to achieve our goals, and deduce that
with our incredibly increased efficiency and new programming, we will be in a position to
do so while we continue to refine finances that do not contribute to our goals.
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
For groups requesting more than $15,000 in annual SSF support, indicate if your
organization will be either 0%, 50% or 100% operational in the summer of 2014.
o If your organization has an office, will it be open in the summer?
Yes, AMCC has an office and it will be open, as all of the regular services are
still provided.
o What programs and services will your student group offer in the summer?
Our whole room will be open with which the prayer area, desktop computers,
printing, and the library will continue to be available.
o How will students who pay the Student Services Fee in the summer benefit from
your organization?
They will benefit by being able to use the aforementioned services, as well as
the room in general. All students are actively encouraged to utilize the space as
a studying lounge at any point. Furthermore, bi-weekly activities will take place
that all students are actively invited to partake in.
Section 6: External Funding
 Describe your organization’s efforts to secure funding in addition to Student Services
Fee income.
Al-Madinah values and respects the Student Services Fees that we receive, and
rigorously self-evaluates all of our expenses to ensure that none of the Student Services
Fees money we receive is wasted or improperly used. Feedback received annually from our
Student Fees presentation is implemented the following year in our proposals to reflect this
self-evaluation. With this being said, the Student Services Fees committee last year
suggested that we try to secure funding from sources other than Student Services fees as
Student Services Fees accounted for 98.4% of our total income. To reflect this, we have
increased the amount of grants for which we have applied. This year we have made that
effort to decrease our reliance on Student Services Fees, decreasing the percentage to
94.5% of the income with the help of grants. We propose in our budgeting for next year to
further reduce that number to 90.3%, a total reduction of over eight percent in less than
one year of budgeting.
Al-Madinah further reduces its reliance on Student Services Fees by securing funds
through sponsorships. Mentioned earlier was the event Fast-a-Thon. The basic premise for
this event is that a specific dollar amount for every person who pledges to fast for a day is
donated to a charity that works to eradicate hunger. We acknowledge that the Student
Services Fee Income is not applicable to charity, and so we turn to the community. We ask
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businesses around the Twin Cities to sponsor this event in exchange for using their services,
often in the form of catering for events. For the 2012 Fast-a-thon, over $500 were
sponsored by Jerusalem Market. The 2013 Fast-a-thon needed sponsorship by three
businesses as we raised approximately $1000. We expect that number to increase for the
2014 Fast-a-thon this coming year, and we plan to return to these businesses for the
sponsorships.

Describe your organization’s financial need for Student Services Fee support that cannot
be fulfilled with alternative sources of income.
Considering the size of Al-Madinah’s budget, the Student Services Fees Income is
essential for operation. Fundraising from general body members, Twin Cities communities’
members, grants and local businesses would not provide an income that would allow AlMadinah’s numerous high quality events to continue. Furthermore, the University places a
great value of trust on undergraduate students when providing them with the budgets the
SSF Committee sees fit that most middle-aged community members and business owners
would be slow to support. We also would be forced to require entrance fees from general
body members, a majority of whom are undergraduate students at the University. Asking
them to pay that fee in addition to their tuition and SSFs would be incredibly undesirable.
Following this year of restructuring, we decided to request a larger budget because we
have the necessary foundation for expansion. Our events require the budgets we request
because they have been restructured to incredible efficiency. We would lose that efficiency
should we be required to shift our energy to fundraising, and we would furthermore need
to decrease the number of events we host. While Al-Madinah does care greatly about the
quantity of its programs, the real emphasis has always been on their quality. We aim to
provide a quality service or no service at all. To maintain such high standards, the
organization will prioritize its proposed programs based on urgency and practicality and will
opt to cancel programs with the least priority. In this process, some programs that are quite
vital to the organization in particular and the University community in general, such as
community involvement activities, and educational workshops may be affected. A reduction
in the proposed amount would cause this organization to either contract or at the least
continue to function at the same level; where the latter to us is another manifestation of
the former.
Al-Madinah carefully crafts the combination of its social, educational, and community
events such that they achieve its overarching goals throughout the year. Eliminating even
one event is equivalent to removing a piece of a puzzle.
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
State the percentage of your budget that comes from Student Services Fee income and
any other sources of revenue.
100%